Archive for September, 2013

Pastor Cheryl Kimble of the Highland Park Baptist Church in north Austin celebrates the blessings of the animals service Saturday morning September 28, 2013 by blessing Otto, owned by Tricia and Mark Traeger, center. The group of mainly dog owners gathered for prayer, pet blessings and songs.

Austin Police Corporal Tom Hardies surveys the damage to a house where a car crashed injuring three people. Emergency personnel from the Austin Fire department and police responded to a car crashing into a home residence at 5710 Glen Meadow in south Austin Saturday afternoon September 28, 2013, moments before a birthday celebration was to take place. Three people, including a small child, were injured from the home and taken to area hospitals and three suspects traveling in the car were detained on scene.

Department of Public Safety Troopers investigate the scene of a vehicle fatality on N. FM 973 near Harold Green Drive east of Texas Toll Road 130 Saturday morning September 28, 2013. A semi tractor trailer collided with a SUV leaving one dead on the scene.

Photos by Ralph Barrera/Austin American-Statesman

Sep 28, 2013 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Another Day in the Metroplex-Pet Blessing, Car Crash into House and Traffic Fatality

Workers with TX Pile install the public art piece titled "Thirst" by artist Beili Liu on Lady Bird Lake at the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge on Wednesday September 25, 2013. "Thirst" is a 35-foot dead cedar elm tree painted a ghostly white that is meant to memorialize the 300 million trees lost in the recent Texas drought. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Justin Delosh, of Cedar Park, carries an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle while speaking at a Constitution Day rally attended by about 30 people at the Capitol on Tuesday September 17, 2013. Three groups - Let's Roll 2013, Open Carry Texas and Overpasses for America - came together for the rally. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Aline Guillot enjoys the scene at the reopening of Wooldridge Square Park on Friday September 13, 2013. Guillot said she has been visiting the park for many years. The 1.75-acre park was closed for about a year during a $340,000 renovation. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by dozens who were treated to a performance by Dale Watson and the Lone Stars on the century-old bandstand. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Vince Dungan, of Elgin, gives two thumbs down as he and his wife, Karen Dungan, leave the Dell shareholders meeting at Dell headquarters in Round Rock on Thursday September 12, 2013. The majority of Dell shareholders voted in favor of a $24.9 billion buyout offer led by company founder and CEO Michael Dell. "That just cost me $125,000," said Dungan, who has owned Dell stock for more than 15 years. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Buddy Barber of the Emergency Service Pipes & Drums performs at the Capitol in on Wednesday September 11, 2013. The bagpipe and drum group, which is made up of nearly 30 emergency workers, played for 20 minutes in the rotunda in memory of those killed in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

James Avery remembers the 9/11 attacks with flags and a sign on the Braker Lane overpass over I-35 on Wednesday September 11, 2013. "It's time to get back to a country we once were instead of where we're at today," he said.

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Keith Longacre rides along I-35 on his way to the Capitol for a 9/11 remembrance on Wednesday September 11, 2013. He was with a group of bikers who were riding in support of the 'Two Million Bikers to D.C.'

Karen Sironi pays her respects to those killed in the 9/11 attacks at the 9/11 Monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Wednesday September 11, 2013. The monument includes steel columns that were salvaged from the World Trade Center at Ground Zero. Sironi said the attacks hit her hard because she was a ticket agent for American Airlines at the time of the attacks.

Nancy Kotlarz, left, and Karen Sironi embrace at the 9/11 Monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Wednesday September 11, 2013.

A group of women cry at the scene of a fatal car accident on East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at E.M. Franklin Avenue on Tuesday September 10, 2013. One man died and a woman was injured after the car he was driving collided with a dump truck in East Austin, according to police. A white sedan was traveling south on E.M. Franklin Avenue when it collided with a dump truck going west on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard about 1:20 p.m Tuesday. Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Work continues inside the Seaholm Power Plant to demolish large turbine supports on Monday September 9, 2013. The demolition work, which will open up the space inside the decommisioned power plant, is part of the $125 million transformation of the power plant into a mixed use development. The project will include a 30-story tower with 309 apartments, a two-story building with a Trader Joe’s store, plus other retail, office and restaurant space. The first phase of the project - the power plant, an underground garage and the two-story building - will open in the summer of 2014. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Dancers with the Ballet Folklorico Mari Cruz perform a dance from the Nuevo Leon region of Mexico for the crowd under the outdoor stage Sunday afternoon September 15, 2013. Fiestas Patrias of Austin celebrated the 35th Annual Diez y Seis de Septiembre Fiesta at Fiesta Gardens Park in east Austin this weekend to commemorate Mexico's independence from Spain. The annual celebration featured dancing, music and traditional festival food and drink.

Dancers with the Ballet Folklorico Mari Cruz, including Silva Tidrick, right, and Lucia Fernandez, center, perform a dance from the Nayarit region of Mexico for the crowd under the outdoor stage.

Dancers perform elaborate songs from various regions in Mexico under the outdoor stage.

The crowd gathers under the shade of the outdoor stage to watch dancers from Ballet Folklorico Mari Cruz.

This young family grabs a bite and waves to someone they know across the way in the shade of a tree on the festival grounds Sunday afternoon.

Musicians with the band La Voz de Trescientos, one of many acts for the two-day event, perform under the covered stage Sunday afternoon.

Texas lost to Ole Miss 44-23 Saturday night September 14, 2013 at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The lopsided loss is the second in a row in the young season and brings doubt to the success head coach Mack Brown able to turn around the program. Brown walks dejectedly off the field after the game with his team.

New defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, center, works the calls with fellow coordinator Duane Akina, right, as head coach Mack Brown, left, chimes in. The Horns faltered in the second half failing to stop the Rebels on defense.

Texas faltered in the second half to Ole Miss losing a non-conference game 44-23 in Austin, TX Saturday night September 14, 2013 at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. The Texas fans left for the exits early in the fourth quarter with the game decided and their play not giving them anything to cheer for as the rout was on.

The Texas fans left for the exits early in the fourth quarter with the game decided.

Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace runs for good yardage through the Texas defense during first quarter action showing poor tackling on the play.

Texas' Case McCoy is roughed up on this run in second quarter action by the Ole Miss defense.

One bright spot for the Horns was the play of receiver Kendall Sanders, here stiff arming stiff Ole Miss' Mike Hilton. after a pass catch in second quarter action

Members of the Longhorn Hellraisers keep up the enthusiasm early in the game.

Former Texas Longhorn and current Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant was on hand for the ceremonial coin toss. He was mobbed by people trying to get a closeup look at the NBA All-Star before the game.

The Goddess of Liberty atop the State of Texas Capitol in Austin appears under siege as thunderstorm warnings are in effect for the Central Texas area September 9, 2013 as local temperatures have dipped below the century mark for the last few days. Any rain is welcomed as are lower temperatures as the area nears the drought of record.

Photo by Ralph Barrera/Austin American-Statesman

Sep 12, 2013 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Storm Clouds Over the Goddess of Liberty

The defending national champion Texas Volleyball team opened the season with the Nike Volleyball Big Four Classic at Gregory Gym Saturday afternoon September 7, 2013 facing perennial rival and current No. 1 ranked Penn State University. Before the game they raised their new banner to the rafters to celebrate that victory.

Texas' Haley Eckerman serves during game one of their opening match against perennial rival Penn State University. Texas defeated the Nittany Lions in five sets. For those loyal Longhorn fans can you find Texas-ex women's basketball coach Jody Conradt in the stands.

Texas' Bailey Webster, left, and Khat Bell, right, jump high to block a shot during game one of their opening match against Penn State University.

Texas players celebrate a kill by Bailey Webster, right center, during early match action. Texas defeated Penn State in five sets and plays second-ranked Stanford Sunday afternoon.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo and Mayor Lee Leffingwell look at APD's new, state-of-the-art helicopter at an unveiling ceremony at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday September 6, 2013. The $3.75 million Eurocopter AS350 B3e will be used for firefighting and for command and control, search and rescue missions, as well as EMS, SWAT or canine unit transport. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Manor police officer R. Milligan talks to Daniel Garcia who was inside Leal's Tire Shop in Manor when a man driving east on U.S. 290 had a tire blowout and crashed his Suzuki SUV into the tire repair shop on Thursday September 5, 2013. Milligan said the driver was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. No one inside the building was hurt. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Judi Ellis surveys the damage to her house near Elgin in Bastrop County on Thursday September 5, 2013. Her roof was torn off during a storm Wednesday evening, and the rain damaged most of her belongings. "You never think something like this is going to happen," she said. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Sep 07, 2013 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Storm rips roof off in Bastrop County

Meg Herstad, 4, looks at a large tree on Thursday September 5, 2013, that fell and damaged a sidewalk on Manassas Drive during an intense storm Wednesday night. The storm triggered winds of 45 mph and broke a 60-year-old rainfall record for the date at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with 1.31 inches. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Sep 07, 2013 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Where the sidewalk ends

SouthWest Water Company maintenance workers Michael Bryant, left, and Jimmy Castaneda paint a black fire hydrant red at a news conference in the Amberwood neighborhood in Kyle on Wednesday September 4, 2013. SouthWest Water Company is painting the hydrants red due to the passage of Senate Bill 1086, which took effect Sept. 1. Hydrants that meet flow standards are to be red, but some utilities painted them black for fear of liability. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Austin police fire tear gas into a Nissan car dealership on I-35 south of Stassney Lane where a 26-year-old man barricaded himself on Tuesday September 3, 2013. Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Austin police apprehend a man who barricaded himself inside a Nissan used car dealership on I-35 south of Stassney Lane on Tuesday September 3, 2013.

Texas quarterback David Ash is tackled by New Mexico State defenders Kevin Lauderrmill and Clint Barnard in the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday August 31, 2013. Texas beat New Mexico State 56-7. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Christopher Britton, Cameron Reid and Andrea Renteria enjoy the water at Bob Wentz Park on Lake Travis on Friday August 30, 2013. The lake level has dropped to the point that hundreds of trees stumps have been exposed in Bob Wentz Park. The lake was last full in spring 2010, and its level now drops 9 to 11 inches a week. It's about 7 feet above its record low set during the 1950s drought. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

About 200 people who support the fast food workers strike march along Guadalupe Street on Thursday August 29, 2013. They were calling for an increase in pay to $15 per hour. Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Arnulfo Manriquez, of the Workers Defense Project, marches with about 200 supporters of the fast food strike.

Strikers and their supporters march along Guadalupe Street.

An Austin police officer orders Greg Casar, of the Workers Defense Project, to get off the property of a Burger King on Guadalupe Street on Thursday August 29, 2013. Casar was leading a group of about 200 people who support the fast food strike in a march along Guadalupe Street.